Millers seek to export 10,000tn maize bran

TRYNESS TEMBO, Lusaka
THE Millers Association of Zambia (MAZ) intends to export 10,000 tonnes of maize bran due to excess of the commodity and also to create space for the new stock since the 2016/17 marketing season has started.
Currently, millers are holding over 34,000 tonnes of bran against the countryâ€™s monthly of about 17,000 tonnes.
In an interview on Monday, MAZ chairperson Andrew Chintala said the association has since written to its affiliate association, Zambia National Farmers Union, which will possibly get approval from the Ministry of Agriculture on plans to export the maize bran due to low demand on the local market.
â€œWe are currently holding 34,560 tonnes of bran and we are requesting to export 10,000 tonnes of it due to the surplus and low demand for the commodity. But before we can export, we need to get permission from Government as well as various stakeholders.
â€œBefore we can come up with a decision as millers, we have monthly meetings to ascertain if the country has enough [stock] and if we export, we will not have a shortage,â€ he said.
He said the excess bran has been necessitated by millersâ€™ efforts of operating between 100 percent and 80 percent capacity.
Mr Chintala said there is high demand for the commodity from the region because of low rainfall experienced in the 2015/2016 rainy season due to climate change.
â€œThe country has excess amount of the commodity, the association intends to take advantage of the demand in the region but ensuring that Zambia has enough.
â€œSince the maize marketing season has started, millers need to create space for the maize, hence the need to offload the excess maize bran,â€ he said.